It's A Secret
by PlayerWithWords
Summary: Every night, what we say, will be our secret, okay? WARNING: Fictitious substance abuse
1. Chapter 1

He can hear the faint sound of patronizing claps ringing in his ears.

Eh.

Whatever.

Focusing back on his game, he blocks out all noise immediately. Like what the teacher's saying will improve his studies anyway. He has his own way. He's been using it for years. Currently, he still aces classes, so whatever the teachers say are just a waste of time to him.

_"Hi! I'm Ishigawa Yuuki! I'll be sitting next to you for the rest of the year. Please take care of me!"_

_-Ignore her_

_-"Hello."_

_-"Hi!"_

_-Smile and nod at her_

He selects Hi!" without even thinking. It's so simple. He's played those high school, new-student-who-sits-next-to-you galge like a million times. Especially one involving a preppy, cheerleader type. Those were the very simple, one dimensional yet usually quite likable characters. Oh well. The graphics in this particular game was excellent though. Top-notch. Which was why he was playing it.

"Hi! I'm Saito Kasumi! I'll be sitting next to you for the rest of the year. Please take care of me!"

He froze.

Such a coincidence in real life? Has a magical 3D manifestation of Ishigawa Yuuki come to see him? Oh! It must be a dream! Yes, yes it must!

But he can't help hoping still.

Eyes wide, mouth open, he gingerly turns to meet the wondrous call.

Only to be disappointed.

Beside him, the girl has sat down, sending him a cheery smile. It was admittedly, a nice smile (Not as nice as Ishigawa Yuuki's though!) but she wasn't ethereally beautiful or anything. Heck, he wouldn't really say she was beautiful. Average. And 3D. Blech. What a disappointment.

He looks back to his game.

After getting Yuuki to agree to a date, he's interrupted by a finger snap in his face.

He pauses.

The girl whose name he didn't bother to remember has turned to him, hand in his face. She hurriedly retracts her hand, seeming abashed.

"Hey, so I guess you didn't hear what the teacher said? She said we're going to work in pairs on this Maths project. The procedure and objective's in the handout on your desk. Anyway, we'll divide the load equally, okay?"

He raises his brow at the word 'equally'. That would be interesting to see. The number of times he has been completely disrespected and taken advantage of because of his nickname 'Otamegane' is countless. Maybe she'd be fairer, since she's new and doesn't know about his nickname.

Misinterpreting his doubt, she hurriedly adds, "As in, you research on points 1 to 5, me, 6 to 10, and I can consolidate the research while you edit, kind of thing."

He gives one slow nod, lips still slightly pursed.

"So we're on, then? I'll create a Google Docs, how about that? So we can write the consolidated report together."

He nods, more firmly this time.

She smiles.

"What's your name?" She suddenly asks.

"Katsuragi Keima."

"That's a nice name."

Again, he merely nods.

She clears her throat. "Do you mind exchanging... Emails?"

Before awaiting his reply, she tears a small piece of paper off her handout and hurriedly scribbles something on it. Grinning, she hands it to him.

He takes it, stares at her scribbled email address for a moment, then writes his own email on the other side of the small piece of paper.

He passes it to her.

She tilts her head in confusion. "Don't you need my email?"

"I've already got it memorised." He taps his skull.

She chuckles. "Photographic memory? That sure is handy."

"It is." He agrees, eyes back on his game, un-pausing Ishigawa Yuuki's dialogue.

At that moment, the bell rings, signalling the end of class.

He hears the girl whose name he still doesn't care to remember get up from her seat, shoot him a half-hearted 'bye' and leave the classroom.

"_Oh... Well... See you tomorrow, I guess."_

_- "I'm sorry."_

_- "Did something happen?"_

_- "See you tomorrow."_

_-"I... I know why you're upset."_

For some reason, he chooses, "See you tomorrow."

_She leaves the room. You think: Was it my fault?_

* * *

**A/N: ANOTHER STORY! I decided to stop apologising because I love myself. I appreciate you too though, so some constructive criticism will be much loved! (^-^)**


	2. Chapter 2

Katsuragi Mari taps her foot, eyes glancing to her watch. An empty chair lazes in front of her as the time ticks. She stares at the clipboard in her hands, lips pursed and arms crossed.

She had gotten a text message early this morning from an unknown number. The character had said that she had seen the advertisement in the newspapers for a job opening in Cafe Grandpa, so she wanted to interview for it. Recently, the cafe's business has picked up, and Mari decided she'd hire a cleaner, so she wouldn't have to work that backbreaking-ly hard. Now this interviewee is very late. And sure as heck is Mari annoyed.

She rubs her temples. Picking up the pencil on the table between her and the irritatingly empty chair, she scribbles something on her notes.

_Responsible? No. Late by_

The door bursts open. She checks her watch.

_Late by 35 minutes._

The panting, red-faced girl standing in front of her hurriedly bows while trying to straighten her skirt. Mari raises a brow at the her. A student? She expected a grandmotherly sort of character to come and interview for a job such is this in a place such is this. On closer inspection, she realizes that the school uniform is that of Keima and Elsie's. Maybe she's from their grade, as well. She better not be a bad influence to them, having been so late.

"Take a seat," Mari says, grimacing as she gestures casually to the chair in front of her. Hands balled into fists, the girl sits down, face stiff and back straight. Almost as if she's expecting a lashing.

"Why are you late?" The words come out before all the essential questions.

The girl's head droops. "I am so, very sorry! But I just couldn't understand this one question and had to ask the teacher for help. I'm not a very smart person, so I can't understand everything in the first try, nor do I want to fail any examinations, so I had to do whatever I could to understand!"

Mari smiles. She wishes Keima could have problems like that like any other school kid. How she wishes. "Alright, then. What's your name?"

"S-Saito Kasumi." She slows down, getting her breath back.

"Age, Kasumi?"

"Seventeen."

"Why do you want this job?"

The girl pauses. "I need to support myself."

Mari tilts her head. "What do you mean? What about your parents?"

* * *

"My parents are kind of _dead_."

I don't feel that "pain" in my heart I've heard people talk about in movies as I say that. I don't feel much of anything, really. My parents left me at the orphanage when I was really young, so I don't have any sort of attachment to them. Sometimes, I wonder if my life would've been different if my parents hadn't abandoned me at the orphanage. Then I would take a look around me, and realise that they already did, and I can't do anything to change that. I don't know where they are, nor do I care, with them being heartless enough to abandon me, so I treat them as if they were dead. Isn't it better that way?

"Oh. I'm sorry, Kasumi-chan." Mari's eyes soften.

I shake my head.

She gazes at me for a moment, before asking, "Do you really want this job?"

I nod feverishly.

Her eyes contain slight pity as she continues asking routine questions, as if ignoring what had just happened.

Oh well.

She asks me about the pay, about the hours, discusses the flexibilty, and things like that. Trying to find out if I'm a good person. I shudder lightly as I think about that. I feel bad for lying. Especially since she seems so nice. But I've been doing it for years. I should be used to these guilty moments. I should be numb to them.

Shouldn't I?

Then she questions,

"Do you have any bad habits?" She doesn't look up from her clipboard, pencil gently held in her hand.

I stop breathing.

_Don't panic. Stay calm. Don't._

I should have been prepared for this. I made up a whole speech so I would get this job.

When I stay silent, she looks up from her clipboard to give me a questioning gaze. "Do you, Kasumi-chan?"

I blink.

_Divert. Lie._

"I think all of us have bad habits, and sometimes people do these bad things because they're nervous, or upset, or something like that." I bite my bottom lip. "If you're asking me about my vices, then I don't always understand school, I bite my nails sometimes, I hold grudges, and a lot more. But if you're asking if I have any bad habits that's going to have a great impact on someone else, then no. No, I don't."

I pray that she doesn't see through my philosophical blabber.

She grins, opening her mouth to say something, but then she closes it. Her inquiring and sympathising eyes pierce through me, as I fight to resist squirming and turning away. Finally, she says,

"Are you absolutely sure you want – _need_ this job?"

I nod firmly, clenched fists relaxing.

She smiles.

"Well you got it! Just remember that on Thursdays, we -" Her words start to fizzle and dissolve.

_No._

Then the worst possible thing happens.

_No._

My hands start to shake.

* * *

**A/N: Took down Chapter 3 so I could make changes to the second chapter, this one. Quick note, we're getting closer to the main plot! ^^**


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